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In October last year, Communications Minister Solly Malatsi said AI could be a game changer for South Africa.
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Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Dr Blade Nzimande has signed a letter of intent with the aim of focusing on information and communication technologies with a specific emphasis on Artificial Intelligence (AI) research and innovation.
Minister Nzimande recently led a delegation in a high-level engagement with Will Meng, CEO of Huawei South Africa, and executives at the company’s headquarters in Shenzhen, China.
China and South Africa
Emphasising the importance of South Africa-China cooperation, Nzimande stated that “the signing of this Letter of Intent further solidifies” the long-standing relationship between South Africa and China.
“Most fundamentally, this Letter of Intent gives much-needed impetus to the progressive agenda of building a global political and economic order that promotes the equitable development of countries, particularly from the Global South, and to contribute to the betterment of all humanity.”
The strengthening of relations comes just days after a successful Belt and Road Science and Technology Conference in Chengdu, China, and following a highly productive bilateral meeting between Minister Nzimande and China’s Minister of Science and Technology Yin Hejun, which included a Letter of Intent on AI.
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AI a “game changer”
In October last year, Communications Minister Solly Malatsi said AI could be a game changer for South Africa.
The opportunities inherent in the use of AI in Africa can be viewed from several perspectives, including the role it will play in bringing cutting-edge healthcare to more people, especially those who previously did not have access to these.
AI’s role also extends to advancing food security, addressing environmental and climate-related challenges that affect agricultural productivity and livelihoods, and potentially helping to power economic growth.
Ethical use
Malatsi said AI is unavoidable, and South Africa should not be lagging.
“It’s unavoidable in terms of AI, just in terms of the global impact it’s making, and also the fact that this is where the presence of technology is, and I think we need to embrace it”.
Malatsi said the key issue is the ethical use of AI.
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